Tube filling mechanism



Dec. 5, 1961 E. M. PUPULIDY 3,011, 28

TUBE FILLING MECHANISM Filed May 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheetl w ll "l2 8G '3 M4 13 g- |3 i 97 no 88 HI l 1 I"! 18 60 LU 4| 39 ,14 as 4 2G 3 4 mmvrox EMA LM.PUPULIDY AI'I'OZNEY c- 1961 E. M. PUPULlDY 3,011,523

TUBE FILLING MECHANISM Filed May 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvron EMANUEL M. PUPULIDY A rrazA/El'Y United States Patent 3,011,528 TUBE FILLING MECHANISM Emanuel M. Pupulidy, 92 Union St., Mineola, NY.

Filed May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,626

Claims. (Cl. 141195) This invention relates to a tube mechanism for filling containers with a composition of viscous consistency.

It is an object of this invention to provide a mechanism for filling containers with a pre-determined amount of viscous material, for example, printers ink.

It is another object to provide a mechanism for transferring a pre-determined amount of viscous material from a large container to a small container of relatively small volume.

It is another object to provide a tube filling mechanism which is easily and conveniently disassembled for solvent washing, as when one ink color is replaced by another.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following descriptive disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a side view of the mechanism,

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a small container disposed upon the filling nozzle and showing the electrical means for stopping the container filling operation,

FIG. 3 is a section view taken through the large containe'r, showing the manner of forcing viscous ink out of the large container by downward movement of a plunger or ram,

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the poppet valve disposed in the ram head,

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the pneumatic means for operating the nozzle valve, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of I he electrical means for shutting of the nozzle after a pre-determined amount of printers ink has been forced into the container.

Turning to the drawing, the filling mechanism comprises a conventional master air cylinder 10 secured rigidly, iEor example, to the ceiling 11 by use of a suitable ice ment purposes so that ram 19 may be oriented so as to supporting column 12. The cylinder 10 is a double acting cylinder so that the compressed air may be introduced above or below the ram head 13 therein making the rod 14 move downwardly or upwardly asdesired.

The motion of rod, 14 is controlled by means of a ;conventional foot pedal valve 15 whereby incoming compressed air from pipe 16 is routed by said pedal valve 15 to pipe 17 to introduce the air upon thepiston 13 or it is optionally routed by suitable operation of pedal valve 15 to introduce the air into pipe 18 and thence beneath the piston 13. Pedal valve 15 is provided with suitable exhaust outlets for the exhaust :air issuing from the respective pipe 17 or 18. I

Clearly, when compressed air enters the cylinder 10 through pipe 17 thereby forcing the. rod 14 downwardly, the air beneath the piston 13 is exhausted through pipe 18 to the respective exhaust outlet in pedal valve 15.

' The rod 14 secured to the piston 13 is threaded at its lower end and secured in a suitable threaded cavity in a ram 19. The ram 19 (FIG. 3) consists substantially of a circular plate 20 having an integral conical center 21. The plate 20 is relatively thick and an annular'U- shaped channel 22 is provided in the vertical rim -wall 23. A suitable O-ring 24 of resilient rubber is disposed in the channel 22. I

As shown in FIG. 3, the diameter of the ram 19 is such as to fit within the large container 25 with the O-ring 24 producing a liquid tight seal to the cylindrical wall of the container 25.

A lock nut 26 is provided on face the operator.

As shown also in FIG. 3, the ram 19 is provided with a cup-like cavity 28 in its lower wall centrally below the cone portion 21. An aperture 29 is disposed through the cone wall and into the cup wall. An outlet pipe 30 threaded on one end and having a suitable bend therein is welded in the aperture 29. A poppet valve 31 is disposed in a suitable round aperture 32 disposed in the plate 20 of ram 19. 7

As shown in FIG. 4, the aperture 32 is provided with a beveled edge 33 at its lower extremity. The poppet or lift valve 31 is a bolt having a conical head 34 and a threadedshank 35. A wing nut 36 is threaded onto the shank in a manner to permit the bolt head 34 to be seated against the beveled edge 33 of the aperture 32 when the descending plate 20 engages the ink disposed in the container 25.

Pipe 30 is threaded at one end and is secured by welding at the non-threaded end to ram 19. It is also connected by means of a conventional coupling 37 to a suitable threaded pipe 38. Pipe 38 is threaded into a valve 39 having a conventional rotary apertured spindle 40 (FIG. 5).

An apertured holder plate 41 is welded by welding 42 rigidly to the valve housing of valve 39, around the aperture of the plate in such a manner as to permit removal of the spindle 40 through the aperture of said plate 41.

The plate 41 is provided with a first pair of bolt receiving holes and secured by bolts 43 into threaded apertures of a supplementary holding plate 44. A conventional compressed air operated piston cylinder 45 is mounted pivotally onto the supplementary plate 44 by means of an L-shaped angle iron 46 having apertures in both its vertical leg 47 and its horizontal leg 48. The upright leg 47 is secured rigidly by nut 49 to a threaded stud 50 secured to the cylinder 45. The horizontal leg 48 is secured loosely and pivotally by a nut and bolt combination 51, through a suitable aperture provided therefor in plate 44.

Also as shown in FIG. 5, the threaded piston rod 52 which moves into and out of the air cylinder 45 is setherefore, the in and out movement of piston 52 in cylinder 45 rotates the spindle ninety degrees so as to open and close the valve 39.

Another important feature of this invention is the provision of a pivot feeler arm 60, secured pivotally to an angle plate 61. Angle plate 61 is secured by a pair of threaded bolts 62 to an angular support plate 63 which in turn is secured by a pair of nut and bolt combinations 64 rigidly to the aforementioned support plate 41 through a second pair of apertures in said plate 41 disposed away from said first pair of apertures and the bolts 43 therein.

As shown in FIG. 6, the feeler arm is L-shaped in cross section and secured through a suitable aperture at its rear end by means of a loosely secured bolt and nut combination 65 to the support plate 61. A coil spring 66 is secured in respective apertures in support plate 63 feeler arm 60. The bolt 67 is locked in place by means of a lock nut 69 therebylimiting the inward movement of arm 60 toward support plate 63.

switch is immoveably secured to said feeler arm. The

microswitch 72 is provided with a metal spring electrical contact arm 74 having a roller wheel 75 thereon.

Electric current is passed into the switch. through wire 76. The fixed contact point 77 of the microswitch 72 is normally out of contact with the spring contact 7 4. However when a conventional fiber board container 78 is inserted onto the nozzle 79 secured to the valve 39, the spring contact 74- engages the fixed contact 77 completing the electrical circuit through the microswitch 72 to the return electrical wire 8t Preferably one or more clips 81 are secured to the feeler arm till to secure the wires 76 and 80 to said arm 60.

In operating the filling mechanism of this invention the foot pedal on the compressed air line is actuated to the operating position thereby causing the piston 13, the rod 14, the ram 19, the pipes 39 and 38 along with the valve 39 and the attachments secured thereto to move downwardly into the container 25. This downward movement of ram 19 in the container 25 forces any air trapped between the ram and the surface of the ink in the large container 25 to escape through the poppet valve which is normally kept open by gravity due to its weight. When the descending poppet valve head 34 engages the ink of viscous quality in the container 25 the poppet valve head is seated in place against the beveled edge 33 of the plate thereby closing the valve 31 and forcing the ink into the ram cavity 28 and thence into pipe 30.

This downward descent of the ram 19 is continued with the valve 39 in open position until the ink fills the nozzle 79 to its orifice 32. When the ink reaches the orifice set of nozzle 79, the valve 39 is closed by suitable operation of the foot pedal 15, leaving the compressed air on a stationary ram 19 continuously urging said ram downwardly. In this position the filling mechanism is ready to receive the fibre board container 78. Also in this position the contacts 7 4 and 77 of the microswitch are out of contact.

As shown in FIG. 1, the filling mechanism includes a conventional electrical foot switch 83 with a wire 84 leading to a conventional single solenoid four-way air valve 85. Compressed air is continuously introduced into air valve '85 by means of pipe 86. T he air from valve 8 5 is introduced alternately into either end of the air cylinder 45 by means of flexible rubber hoses 87 and 88. Clearly, operation of the solenoid of the valve 85 operates the air cylinder 45 causing the piston 52 to open and later to close the valve 3-9 in the manner described below.

-In filling a small container, the operator of the filling mechanism pushes a container 78 upon the nozzle 79 until the orifice 82 is seated against the inner end Wall of the container 78. This procedure effects engagement of the contacts 74 and 77. The operator of the mechanism then closes the switch 83 completing the electrical circuit causing the conventional spring loaded solenoid-valve 85 to operate, opening the valve 39. Since compressed air is continuously applied onto piston 13 the ram slowly moves downwardly forcing ink of viscous consistency to pass through valve 39 into nozzle 79 pushing the container 7 8 thereon steadily outwardly, meanwhile filling the interior of said container 78. Finally the container 78 is pushed so far outwardly from the stationary nozzle 7 9 that the roller 75 of electrical contact 74 falls off the container end wall 89 onto the nozzle 79. When this happens the electrical circuit is broken since electrical contact between points 74 and 77 is broken. This breaking of the electrical contact de-energizes the spring loaded solenoid in the fourway valve 85 so that the solenoid returns to its initial or non-actuated position permitting the compressed air to enter into the opposite side of the air cylinder 45 and thus close the valve 39. The alternately released air from cylinder 45 is exhausted through suitable ports located in the valve 85.

Return of the air piston rod 52 to its original position! on breaking contact between electrical points 74 and 77 turns off the valve 3 9. The operator of the filling mechanism then removes the filled container 78 from the nozzle 79 and then removes his foot from the electrical switch 83.

In order to clean the mechanism, to fill container 78 with another color, the pneumatic cylinder assembly is disengaged from the holder plate 41 by removing bolts 43 after removal of the bolt and nut combination 56. In order to disengage the electrical mechanism, the feeler arm assembly is disengaged from plate 41 by removal of the bolts 64. Next the nozzle 79 is unscrewed from valve 39 and valve 39 is unscrewed from pipe 38. Pipe 38 is then removed from engagement with pipe 30. The valve spindle 40 is then removed from its valve housing. Lastly ram 19 with. pipe 36 thereon is unscrewed from the rod 14. All these color contaminated parts are then cleaned in suitable solvent'and after drying are re-assembled for use with another container 25 having a different color ink therein.

Since this invention is of generic scope it is not limited to its illustrative embodiment. vThus hydraulic fluid may be used in lieu of compressed air in the operation of the master cylinder 10. Other obvious modifications will now occur to those skilled in the art, but all such obvious modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the claims herein.

I claim:

1. A filling mechanism for transferring ink having a viscous consistency from a large portable cylindrical bulk container to a cartridge container of relatively small volume comprising movable ram means adapted to engage the interior wall of said large container in an air tight manner; rigid pipe means secured at one end to said ram for receiving ink forced out of said container; a valve having a rotary spindle removably secured to the other end of said pipe means; a holder plate means fixedly secured to the housing of said valve about said spindle; air cylinder piston rod means secured to said holder plate and to said valve rotatively opening and closing said valve; a nozzle removably secured to said valve in substantially opposed relationship to said pipe means; feeler arm means pivoted at one end and secured removably to said holder plate means and disposed suitably parallel to said nozzle; electrical microswitch means normally open disposed adjustably on said arm means adjacent its unsecured end and adapted to be actuated by said small container; fluid operated means for continuously urging said ram into said large container; and solenoid operated valve means electrically connected to said microswitch means and connected by rubber hoses to supply compressed air to said air cylinder and adapted to be operated in response to actuation of said microswitch by said cartridge container.

2. The filling mechanism of claim 1 wherein the ram means comprises a circular plate integral with a conical central portion having a cup-shaped cavity therein; a gravity operated poppet valve disposed in said plate and adapted to be closed upon descendingly engaging said ink in said large container, said plate being provided in its vertical end wall with an annular groove, and a resilient O-ring disposed in said groove and adapted to engage the wall of said container in a fluid tight manner.

3. The filling mechanism of claim 2 comprising air cylinder piston means having a supplementary holder plate fixedly secured to said holder plate; an angle plate having one leg secured rigidly to said air cylinder at one end and having its other leg secured pivotally to said supplementary plate, and a piston rod means disposed movably in said air cylinder and removably secured to said valve.

4. The filling mechanism of claim 3 comprising piston rod means having a link fixedly secured to the spindle of said valve and removably secured to said piston rod of said air cylinder,

5. The filling mechanism of claim 4 wherein the feeler arm means comprises coil spring means continuously urging said arm toward said nozzle, screw threaded adjustable means for limiting the movement of said arm by said coil spring, said arm having a longitudinal slot adjacent its free end, said microswitch being adjustably secured to said arm in said slot, said microswitch having a leaf spring 6 contact arm secured at one end and having a roller on the other end adapted to engage said small container whereby the quantity of ink forced into said small container may be adjusted to the location of the microswitch on said feeler arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

